I think it’s more just that a) having a classical allusion makes you seem erudite in this genre b) it’s clearly part of the shared culture that you get living i

I think it’s more just that a) having a classical allusion makes you seem erudite in this genre b) it’s clearly part of the shared culture that you get living in China that you could miss by living abroad. The second half where Confucius says he no longer trusts people without observing them probably plays some role (he’s giving his own observations) but I don’t think it’s that important to the whole.